Linking RNA Modifications and Stem Cell PluripotencyNovember 12, 2015Recent studies reported here at Epigenie have identified N6-methyladenosine (m6A) as a highly dynamic RNA modification that influences all aspects of RNA biology. Furthermore, an interesting study in mouse and human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) has indicated a role for N6-methyladenosine in the switch between ESC pluripotency and differentiation. Cool stuff indeed, but whate regulates N6-methyladenosine deposition […]
More Insights into Sperm Epigenomics: Histone Methylation Takes It Solo TransgenerationallyNovember 12, 2015While CpG methylation has received the seminal fame of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance, it seems that other players in the epigenome are just as capable. Sperm miRNAs have taken the solo spotlight in highlighting the mechanisms and distinction between transgenerational inheritance and intergenerational effect, but now histone methylation steps up to the plate leading us to […]
Astrocyte microRNAs Welcome Metastatic Cancer Cells to the BrainNovember 12, 2015If asked what to bring on a fishing trip in winter, your answer probably wouldn’t be a bathing suit and sunblock. Likewise, when cancer cells metastasize, they need the right equipment to reside in unfamiliar organs; in other words, they must adapt their expression programs to accommodate their new microenvironment. How they do this is […]
Sperm miRNA Drives Intergenerational Stress ResponseOctober 30, 2015Stress is something that we’re all too familiar with, but its impact across generations has remained controversial. The distinction between intergenerational effect and transgenerational inheritance is particularly important to understand the differences between a direct effect on exposed gametes or indirect transmission to unexposed gametes. However, the molecular mechanisms behind both phenomena have received much […]
Towards Bioprinting Organs with Human Stem CellsOctober 30, 2015Printing has come a long way since the days of Johannes Gutenberg and his famous press. Nowadays, we are printing plaster casts for broken bones, replacement parts for space stations and now, a new study shows us that we are well on our way to be able to print human organs. This version of printing, […]
Small Molecule Targeting RNA Heralds Comeback for Antibiotic DiscoveryOctober 23, 2015Although many readers may have been excited about the release of the new Prince album last month, the biggest comeback story of this year was over at Nature. The antibiotic field has reported only covers or remixes since the 1980s, but now researchers from Merck pharmaceuticals have discovered a potential new antibiotic that works by […]
DNA Methylation Changes in Blood Predict Breast Cancer MetastasisOctober 22, 2015Mention the word ‘surveillance’, and the people around you are likely to feel uneasy. But methods to monitor and predict the development of cancer are essential to provide the correct treatment at the right time. Now researchers from the Translational Genomics Research Institute in Arizona show that assessing changes to DNA methylation directly in blood […]
Stem Cell Scientists Use Cell Reprogramming Techniques to Study AgingOctober 22, 2015“Work harder, eat less, and, I’m begging you, get a haircut!” A face-to-face meeting between a younger and an older version of yourself would surely be filled with sage advice on how to live life and grow old gracefully. Many scientists wish to recreate such a meeting between young and old neurons to study aging and […]
Stem Cell-Derived Kidney Organoids Take a Big Step ForwardOctober 22, 2015Much like finding water on Mars and the fight to be the next President of the USA, pluripotent stem cell-derived mini-organs (or organoids) are big news at the moment. A recent study, featured here at EpiGenie, used a brain organoid generated from patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to unravel the molecular causes behind autism. […]
Single Cell “Drop ChIP” Reveals Epigenetic Heterogeneity in Cell PopulationsOctober 22, 2015Being average isn’t all that bad, but it’s far from good. Since its very beginning, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) has been plagued with the problem of averages: chromatin profiles based on ChIP data are an average of the many thousands of cells required to perform this experiment. This gives us a rough overview of the chromatin […]